[mjothi]

Originally Posted by sreerajunnithan

Another Pose
Attachment 49883

Lovely pictures. I like this Owl shot. Also the last but 1. Nice view from top.

Originally Posted by khan_sultan

and yes, once a few pegs of rum, vodka, whisky have gone down your throat, you don't even know if it was cold

So, here is the secret of your energy! cheers:

[princezahed]

nice pics.looks like an amazing place to spend the night under the skies,far away from the hum-dum of the city.

[khan_sultan]

Originally Posted by sreerajunnithan

.... Guys it may be an easy terrain for all of you, but for me it was dead scary. My jeep was jumping from rock to rock. Most of the terrain I did in 2LOW and 3LOW, apart from some steep climbs...

.. No doubt your jeep would be jumping from rock to rock.
Low-1 or Low-2 would have been sufficient. You need to literally 'crawl' over those rocks.

Only a Gypsy is supposed to jump from rock to rock . You need to sit in a Gypsy, on the way up, during this trail. Then you will truly understand what 'jumping from rock to rock' literally means. Ask vis-racing. He was in the back seat of my Gypsy with a crate full of 30 eggs in his hand. And yes, don't even ask what happened to the eggs in his hands. You can ask what happened to his jeans and my back seat:-)

Originally Posted by tabrez02

Where is this place and how to reach there from bangalore ?

That's a secret and can be told only to 4x4'ers :-). Jokes apart, you can reach there only in a 4x4 and that too in a group with jeep_thrill members.

One should not even think of doing this stretch alone. God forbid if you are stuck somewhere in this stretch, then it's the end -- no network, nobody to help you, no food/water etc etc...

Cheers,

[kittigadu]

This is insane.
This is impossible.
These guys are mad.
Oh! my god. Are we supposed to drive in there.
Should i go back from here.
There is no road man, its all boulders and junk.

These are just some of the thoughts that ran in my mind when i was doing it. It was one holy hell of a OTR. Something i haven't in the wildest of my dreams. The jeeps were crawling, the light was failing, the distance is long, the terrain is tough and things just getting started.

I was the weakest and inexperienced of them all. weak in my mind. weak in my experience. This is my first official OTR.
But i have to do it. what the heck,
The terrain is tough, what the heck, so are these men.
If a gypsy can do it, if a willys can do it what the heck, my jeep can do it too.
The real question is,
can i do it?
How can i even drive where people cannot walk properly.
Even a casual trekker might think of an alternative, and look at these guys revving to take their vehicles thru that. These jeepers are on insane.

"Hey, put it to 4Low. Take off in 2nd, dont touch the pedals. handle the steering. Think, Turn at the right moment, Observe the terrain, Analyze how others do it, Trust your instincts, Judge your movements and just and just let it crawl "
That was what dev who told me. He was in my jeep navigating. He knew i was new to all this. He sat with me. These are his words.

I just kept going and as i kept going, things started getting good and better. i have learnt how to take turnings, how to tackle rocks, how to dodge trees and how to crawl heights.

At difficult places. Doesn't mean the others are simple. By difficult i mean the places where even the villains "pee in their pants" kind of places. Jammy, khan, dev, andy and others parked their vehicles and came back to guide the others. using hand movements, they helped us make the right decisions. The jeeps are all tossing and bumping and jumping and slipping
and skidding and all that.
Eventually,we did it.
My machine did it.
and I did it

Once we reached the top and got down the jeep. Walked up to the cliff and stood there for a second. It was windy, it was cold and it was dark. We couldn't see whats there down in the valley, only lights from far off places. The moon was full and glowing. The faint light and the darkness was kinda mysterious.
After a minute, all that we went thru was forgotten in a second. And in the moon light, the river in valley was looking like flowing mercury. All that we went thru was just erased, it was refreshing.

But, there are important things to do other than just loafing around and appreciating the nature. Its time for some food. Its time for a fire and time for gathering. Withing no time, the jungle punters got down to work lighting every bit of wood and every paper they can. But the wind, it was just not ready to allow us to invade its territory. It was furious. Looked like it was angry for trespassing its territory.

we tried different techniques and different places. Finally, with much reluctance it offered to give in. The fire started and the coals light up. The barbecue grill was ready and the firewood kept burning. Every one gathered. "Whats on the menu" was the discussion. While veggies reclaimed the fire the non veggies invaded the grill. Food was prepared the prehistoric way. Those who are knowledgeable, tried their skills with the available resources. Potatoes were wrapped in silver foils and thrown into the fire. while the marinated chicken slipped its way thru the grill and landed on the burning coals.

Meanwhile, the sound of beer cans and whiskey dudes started getting louder. These guys first started at some hideout place, but eventually had to come to the fire for the warmth.

Meanwhile, at the fire, the potatoes were disappearing and so are the kebabs. Who ever wants it goes to the fire, picks it and eats. Thats the logic. Suddenly out of no where, the forest guide walks in with a big vessel of steaming rice and hot spicy sambar. The hungry guys were just waiting in ambush. The kebabs gave way to mutton cutlets and then oriental chicken and fish and biriyani a few other delicacies. After the dinner, the intoxicated tribals danced to the beats around the fire and retired.
Its well past 12:00am and its to catch some sleep. Most of them pitched their tents and the others chose to sleep with the ghosts in the bungalow.

we just got onto the hill.

Pictures of the wilderness





The convoy.







The frewheeling hub of the willys wouldnt lock. Jammy had to pull out his box to set things right while the others watch.

Man, look at that tool kit. We could have repaired a broken helicopter with that.

Andy's jeep had to be recovered after it got stuck between rocks. It was pitch dark and with D shackles and tow rope did the trick.

Khan with his highlift jack, tried but realized that highlifting is not the best way to recover.

Singh is king before the fire is lit.





Andy fixing his tent.

The bhoot bungalow. There were 2 very old photos hanged to the wall inside. Fortunately they turned out to be indira gandhi's and babu rajendraprasad's. Had it been any unknown faces like some Mr & Mrs chennappa or ponappa, i would have freaked.


To know what happened in the morning ? keep reading Team-BHP. will return after a short break.

Krishna

[vis-racing]

Back from my fist OTR - And I'm feeling like MAN why the hell are we heading back to civilization. Thats how much i enjoyed this trip.

Krishna, khan Sultan, Jammy, Dev, Mark are one of coolest guys to hang out with.

I would say this trip was all about teamwork and having a blast.

The Journey - Boy was i in for a surprise. FOLLOW the Trial were the golden words. But what trail ?? We are literally climbing 60 degree inclines
on sharp rocks with mud in between them in the night with moonlight to guide us. TRUST me it doesn't get any crazier than this.

I was riding along with khan Sultan, and his gypsy is complete madness
Light Fast and insane is how i would describe his gypsy. It literally is just tearing its way trough the jungle. I was in it with about 30 to 40 eggs next to me. And don't even ask what happened to those poor eggs.

Once we reached on top, we got the party started, Fried Fish, Barbecued chicken, Lamb koftas, Grilled potatoes, Biriyani were just a few delicacies i can think of accompanied with some liquor for the final touch. We had a gala time eating by the bonfire.

The next morning i woke up to the Cristine beauty of Soligere which surrounded us. The clear breeze, the lush green forest. I was Spellbound.

After packing up i joint Krishna on our way back. His massive engine was able to do the slopes so easily. I was standing at the back of the open top with the camera in my hand enjoying every bit of the action.
We shot lots of videos of this which Krishna will post on U Tube.

In All it was one experience i will never forget. No matter how many photograph's we post ( i took about 250 snaps) and write of our experiences about the place ( which i am really bad at ). there is nothing to replace what my eyes have seen and what a beautiful feeling you are left with when you visit Soligere.

Thank you Jammy for tagging me along, never going to forget this experience ever.

Cheers,
Vish

[kittigadu]

welcome back,

Around 6:00am, i woke up to a lout shout.
"Come on guys, you haven't come here to sleep" it said.

With half open eyes, i unzipped the tent to see khan up and ready waking us up. Got out of the tent. It was misty and foggy. The visibility is almost zero beyond 20 feet . I thought a clear blue sky with the golden rays of the sun will make a good day's start. It was disappointing. But not for long.
Meanwhile i went around to see what others are doing. Every one is resting. Both the men and their machines.
A few minutes later, the fog starts to clear and for the first time, i could see the valley below. Oh my god, that was absolutely beautiful. Only then i realized how deep the valley was. It was forest as far as one could see on one side with silver cauvery cutting across thru it.
I just stood there breathless.

by 8:00am one by one started coming out of their tents. The first thing they did was to take a look at the beautiful valley and stand still.
The beauty of the valley was a mental mouthwash. Every one felt fresh and charged.

Now, its time for some breakfast and cigarettes. A little later, the fire started and things were being unwrapped. Bread, jam, biriyani, mutton chops, omelet etc etc. That was one incredibly heavy breakfast i have eaten.

After a round of freshly made tea, we gathered for some chit chat. There was discussion about the machines, engines, tyres, ICE or rather IJE, previous OTR's and some street and drag racing gyan from vishal. while some students took the lecture, The others were busy packing. Mukund with his gang had to leave early.

Nothing went waste. Good food was taken back by the guide and his friend. The bones and stuff was thrown (umm, rather pampered and fed) to the dog.

The men and their machines taking rest.











The breathtaking view of the valley once the fog cleared off



Khan sat there looking at the jungle for another OTR track or is he meditating.

Khan(L) dev(m) shakir (R) waiting for some tea.

And so are the rest of the guys. meanwhile vish decides not to wait ...

Tea

Sandwitches

The morning chit chat.

Drag racing lessons from vishal. Khan is all pepped up.

kayum packing his tent, while Andy and his wife distributed biscuits and snacks.

Mukund and his gang

Mark all packed up and ready to go.

Sona feeding the dog.


" The crawling down the hill " part next after the break.

Krishna.

[MM440]

Andy's jeep was stuck at the chassis. Trying to negotiate a medium left as he crested the ascent and in avoiding a bush which had to be brushed aside,he had beached the jeep precariously. We had a few things going for us there. Among them was the lovely moonlight which sidled through the canopy to which cloaked the valley and scenery below in a soothing glow and cast shadows of comforting darkness on the trail.
To reach this spot we had traversed over rugged terrain of one of the Cauvery basin's most beautiful hills.Passing through the trail at places I drove Karthik's MM540 with it's ailments now healed at a pace which was comfortable at the lead.The jeep behaved amicably,with the little trace of play giving way to surefooted grip and crisp steering response.The torquey engine and 4wd gearbox coupled with the 32 inch tires made light work of the terrain. Shahnawaz followed close behind with the Willys CJ3B driven by Khayoum,Andy Roa in the MM pickup and Krishna bringing up the Vangaurd in his 550.
Faced with a situation where the efforts didnot work,I suggested that we tow Andy back onto the trail,reversing the way he had beached himself.This suggestion was intitially debated upon and Andy requested his jeep be anchored with a additional safety check in form of a jeep upfront which would anchor him in position while the jeep at the rear (Karthik's MM550) would haul Andy's jeep inch by inch aided by manpower of the boys.
RECOVERY'
1>The 550 was facing up on the incline and hence in my reckoning had more PE(potential energy) than the stuck Pikup which was on relatively flat ground.And hence could pull the Pikup out in reverse if the manouver was excuted gently.
2>The MM pikup would not logically have the weight to drag the 550 which was only a couple of hundred kgs lighter over the incline and down the valley if ppush came to shove and things went bad.The weakest link in the plan was the tow cable.If it held then we could drive away free.
3> Dev and shahnawaz voluntered to walk up the trail which was quite testing to bring the high lift jack to help matters.
4> They sportingly undertook the physically challenging walk to salvage the situation.
4>A couple of calls over a faltering network later had them drive the 50 year old willys down with the trail with the high liftjack,after much debate as to how I was going to turn around the jeep in the narrow trail.
5> Tugging with the chain doubled around the pikup's chassis yeilded no result and upon discussing with the boys,we reached a consensus that further efforts could be disastrous for the both the willys(named prince) and the pikup.
6>Krishna graciously let me have a go at pulling Andy's jeep back and with everyone holding on to it we commenced the operation.
7>Upon inching the vehicle back i noticed with satisfaction that it was having the desired effect.And a few feet and lots of directions screamed over the noise of the engines(Andy had his engine in idle and reverse gear engaged) we were back on terra firma.
Reversing the willys.
1> Dev as ussual in his large hearted way of looking after jeepers in need of held spotted for me as I reversed up the trail.
2> We made good progress right upto the 90 degree turn which was boulder strewn and the lack of weight and sight made the going difficult and effort unwarranted.
3> We decided to reverse and going back down the trail to the turn I floated the rear right tire of the jeep in the air in my effort to make a 3 point turn in the darkness.Dev rushed down to pin the wheel to the ground while Mukund's frineds watched observing and commenting on the status of the jeep. A few comical words later they pitched in and we had things under control.
4>The rest of the journey up was uneventfully eventful.A pitstop for dinner logistics and a score minutes later we reached the top to enjoy the ethereal scenery swathed in moonlight.
Camping.
Having settled down we tried to get things going by geting the barbeque stove lit which sona,khayum and shoban had bought.They had also at the last minute organised the marinated veg and non veg barbeque from Barbeque nation. Having had little success with getting the coals to lightup we moved the barbeque to a less windy place while Marc with his sterling ability to stoke up a fire had the firewood burning. From there to moving the glowing embers to the barbeque and getting the coal to get going was a matter of time and we in due course had a wonderful cook out in the most fantastic of places.We also had excellent sambar and rice prepared for us at the village which the boys had fetched.
Walking around the perimeter of the place one can could see the shimmering ribbon which was the Cauvery and lights to the wetern,northen and parts of the southern landscape.We indulged ourselves as best as we could before pitching tents.Marc,Mukund,dev and I were awaiting the arrival of Shakir as the rest settled in. The therapuatic feeling of lying in a tent withthe wind blowing,the tent gently swaying and yet all within the tent being comfortably warm is a feeling that is indescribable.
Shakir did reach the place although late and Munneer and the rest of the gang ,Doc,Affoo,Irshad, got busy preparing the biryani and mutton to break the Ramzan fast.A little petrol taken from the 3B got the fire going, and the fading embers of the barbeque was used to make use of the fish which Marc had marinated for breakfast.
Retiring to my tent I had a sound sleep,the wind made it's presence felt vocally and visibly as the tent kept swaying,however the temparature was just fine.I woke to a lovely view.Mukund and Shahnawaz had pitched their tents at the large rectangular man made flat at the edge of the cliff. A fine morning breakfast of Marc's excellent cheese omellete,Munnerbhai's biryani and tea started the day. As we lounged around willing ourselves to leave time whizzed by and we finally decided to move on.We drove dwon enjoying the fantastic sights of the trail we had missed whilst driving up. Stopping many times we regrouped and headed home.
I would like to thank all the people who were on this trip for making it yet another milestone down the memory lane. A special thanks to Kayoum and Sona for organising the barbeque at real short notice,and offering to do so.
Looking forward to the next trip with you guys.
Cheers
Jammy

[Samurai]

Wow, wow, wow!

Some excellent writing from multiple people, each one out doing the other. It appears that offroading brings the writer out of each of you.

Man, what an experience. I gotta do this soligiri drive some day with you guys.

Originally Posted by kittigadu

This is insane.
This is impossible.
These guys are mad.
Oh! my god. Are we supposed to drive in there.
Should i go back from here.

Krishna, the feelings you went through, I can very much relate, I was in the same state in Choma Kunda. In a full fledged organised OTR, you won't feel that shocked, but it is the smaller OTRs that give this scary thrill.

[Prithvi]

Man awesome pictures. How do you get to the Bhoot Bungalow? HE! HE! Just love the place.

[mjothi]

Man seems we missed a real fun meet. Krishna, seems you enjoyed well with your beauty. Hats off.

[DKG]

Shahnawaz you guys really are living the dream. Its just so wonderful to see you guys explore the wilderness and actually camp out. Thanks to your efforts and enthusiasm so many people will get introduced to this magical experience. Great work. Congrats

[kittigadu]

On our way back, there was a confusion whether to take the easy route down or go back the same hair rising path we took to come up.
Finally, the decision was to take the same road. The plan was to drive up to the watch towers on our way down the hill. We have been taking short breaks to regroup. The coming down was another challenge.

"Do not use the clutch. Do not touch the brakes". said khan. Engine breaking is the mantra here. I have heard a lot about this concept but haven't actually experienced how it works. The extreme crawling inch by inch without you having to worry about the pedals is amazing. i was almost sitting with my legs folded. jeep becomes automatic for the moment.

inch by inch, boulder by boulder, curve by curve, pit by pit the jeeps just crawled effortlessly. vishal and myself just talk about where to take the wheels. Suddenly it slips sideways and falls back into place. After every scary descent, the team stops to regroup and celebrate the moment. While the drivers were busy discussing the techniques, the others followed the rule "Do not waste any thing. Food or Drinks". Glasses lined up on the low bonnet. kurkurey's melted and jokes were cracked. The weather was cool and the air is less windy. while we were under the shade of the mountain, sun was shining on far off peaks creating a magnificent sound and light show of the jungle ahead.

We were yet to approach one of the difficult tree turns and it started to rain. It rained for a few minutes. And this was enough to make the stones wet.
wet stones equals to slipping tyres.
slipping tyres equals to sliding jeeps,
sliding jeeps equals to damaged body.
we had to be very very careful while negotiating this tree. A little miscalculation and your jeep gets scraped and dented royally. Jammy was there waving to the people. Navigating and letting us know when to turn and where to turn. Finally we all did it successfully.
What happens when we over come an obstacle? well, we regroup and celebrate. One more obstacle. Finally we reached the bottom of the hill and took the route towards the watch tower. Its just a place from where one can get a magnificent view of the river and the forest.
we rested there for some time. A little while later we went to the other tower too. At around 5:00pm we were all feeling hungry. The bread was out and a slice of tomato was in. we called them sandwiches. we relished the meal. And finally started off to Bangalore. regrouping at every small town on our way.










































Somehow the photos here convey only 10% of the experience. The rest of the 90% is still fresh in our eyes. It has to be experienced and nothing less.

Krishna

[vinod_nookala]

Kittigadu, Andy, Jammy, Khan sultan and other jeeprs,

I envey you guys!!! You have fantastic terrain around and a nice climate to support you. You all guys are really having fun and liviing up to a true adventure spirit! Keep it up. Besides other lovely jeeps Kartiks and Kittigadu's jeeps are treat to watch. I love andys pik up also.

Why does andy's pick up has TOYOTA sticker on tail gate? Does it have to do anything with wildlife sponsership etc?

Cool pics...Keep jeepin!!

Regards

Vinod

[MM440]

Originally Posted by MM440

Andy's jeep was stuck at the chassis. Trying to negotiate a medium left as he crested the ascent and in avoiding a bush which had to be brushed aside,he had beached the jeep precariously. We had a few things going for us there. Among them was the lovely moonlight which sidled through the canopy to which cloaked the valley and scenery below in a soothing glow and cast shadows of comforting darkness on the trail.
To reach this spot we had traversed over rugged terrain of one of the Cauvery basin's most beautiful hills.Passing through the trail at places I drove Karthik's MM540 with it's ailments now healed at a pace which was comfortable at the lead.The jeep behaved amicably,with the little trace of play giving way to surefooted grip and crisp steering response.The torquey engine and 4wd gearbox coupled with the 32 inch tires made light work of the terrain. Shahnawaz followed close behind with the Willys CJ3B driven by Khayoum,Andy Roa in the MM pickup and Krishna bringing up the Vangaurd in his 550.
Faced with a situation where the efforts didnot work,I suggested that we tow Andy back onto the trail,reversing the way he had beached himself.This suggestion was intitially debated upon and Andy requested his jeep be anchored with a additional safety check in form of a jeep upfront which would anchor him in position while the jeep at the rear (Karthik's MM550) would haul Andy's jeep inch by inch aided by manpower of the boys.
RECOVERY'
1>The 550 was facing up on the incline and hence in my reckoning had more PE(potential energy) than the stuck Pikup which was on relatively flat ground.And hence could pull the Pikup out in reverse if the manouver was excuted gently.
2>The MM pikup would not logically have the weight to drag the 550 which was only a couple of hundred kgs lighter over the incline and down the valley if ppush came to shove and things went bad.The weakest link in the plan was the tow cable.If it held then we could drive away free.
3> Dev and shahnawaz voluntered to walk up the trail which was quite testing to bring the high lift jack to help matters.
4> They sportingly undertook the physically challenging walk to salvage the situation.
4>A couple of calls over a faltering network later had them drive the 50 year old willys down with the trail with the high liftjack,after much debate as to how I was going to turn around the jeep in the narrow trail.
5> Tugging with the chain doubled around the pikup's chassis yeilded no result and upon discussing with the boys,we reached a consensus that further efforts could be disastrous for the both the willys(named prince) and the pikup.
6>Krishna graciously let me have a go at pulling Andy's jeep back and with everyone holding on to it we commenced the operation.
7>Upon inching the vehicle back i noticed with satisfaction that it was having the desired effect.And a few feet and lots of directions screamed over the noise of the engines(Andy had his engine in idle and reverse gear engaged) we were back on terra firma.
Reversing the willys.
1> Dev as ussual in his large hearted way of looking after jeepers in need of held spotted for me as I reversed up the trail.
2> We made good progress right upto the 90 degree turn which was boulder strewn and the lack of weight and sight made the going difficult and effort unwarranted.
3> We decided to reverse and going back down the trail to the turn I floated the rear right tire of the jeep in the air in my effort to make a 3 point turn in the darkness.Dev rushed down to pin the wheel to the ground while Mukund's frineds watched observing and commenting on the status of the jeep. A few comical words later they pitched in and we had things under control.
4>The rest of the journey up was uneventfully eventful.A pitstop for dinner logistics and a score minutes later we reached the top to enjoy the ethereal scenery swathed in moonlight.
Camping.
Having settled down we tried to get things going by geting the barbeque stove lit which sona,khayum and shoban had bought.They had also at the last minute organised the marinated veg and non veg barbeque from Barbeque nation. Having had little success with getting the coals to lightup we moved the barbeque to a less windy place while Marc with his sterling ability to stoke up a fire had the firewood burning. From there to moving the glowing embers to the barbeque and getting the coal to get going was a matter of time and we in due course had a wonderful cook out in the most fantastic of places.We also had excellent sambar and rice prepared for us at the village which the boys had fetched.
Walking around the perimeter of the place one can could see the shimmering ribbon which was the Cauvery and lights to the wetern,northen and parts of the southern landscape.We indulged ourselves as best as we could before pitching tents.Marc,Mukund,dev and I were awaiting the arrival of Shakir as the rest settled in. The therapuatic feeling of lying in a tent withthe wind blowing,the tent gently swaying and yet all within the tent being comfortably warm is a feeling that is indescribable.
Shakir did reach the place although late and Munneer and the rest of the gang ,Doc,Affoo,Irshad, got busy preparing the biryani and mutton to break the Ramzan fast.A little petrol taken from the 3B got the fire going, and the fading embers of the barbeque was used to make use of the fish which Marc had marinated for breakfast.
Retiring to my tent I had a sound sleep,the wind made it's presence felt vocally and visibly as the tent kept swaying,however the temparature was just fine.I woke to a lovely view.Mukund and Shahnawaz had pitched their tents at the large rectangular man made flat at the edge of the cliff. A fine morning breakfast of Marc's excellent cheese omellete,Munnerbhai's biryani and tea started the day. As we lounged around willing ourselves to leave time whizzed by and we finally decided to move on.We drove dwon enjoying the fantastic sights of the trail we had missed whilst driving up. Stopping many times we regrouped and headed home.
I would like to thank all the people who were on this trip for making it yet another milestone down the memory lane. A special thanks to Kayoum and Sona for organising the barbeque at real short notice,and offering to do so.
Looking forward to the next trip with you guys.
Cheers
Jammy

Some pictures taken enroute by Sona.Thanks for sharing the pics mate.cheers.

[kittigadu]

A few candid moments from the trip
Shahnawaz khan

Vishal

Khayum

krishna

sona

dev

mark

jammy

shakir



@ Kanakapura


Krishna